Starting with the poetry of Hafez, one of the most famous Iranian poets of the 14th century, choreographer Parya Saberi considers “every word as a jewel.” During the pandemic, with her mother stranded here in the United States, Saberi and her mother read Hafez’s poetry daily to begin each morning together during shelter-in-place.
Each section of her latest project is named after a section of a poem by famous Iranian poets, and thematic inspirations come from the words. “The verses have so much movement and dance within them,” notes Saberi. A concise version of Dancing with Hafez will premiere on July 28th, 2024 at the Sausalito Center for the Arts.